The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1887-04-30
The Water Ways Convention.
To the Editsrs Of the Appeal.


proyement convention, to be held
in Memphis, if you will indulge me
l will submit some remarks on the
subject.
regard the scheme as admirs-
BILE, both for the direct object of
advancing the improvement fthe
river, aud also for a purpose of
perhaps not less Importance to
Memphis, that of bringing her
commercial advantages under the
eyes of a great many representa-
tive business men from all the
States in the Mississippi Valley.
With this view | think the pro-
posed convention can be made
most potent instrument in for
warding the object which has en-.
gagged the attention of your com.
mercial exchanges of late. But to
make it effective for this purpose,
some exertion on the part of the
merchants and other business men
of Memphis will be necessary, and
some money judiciously expended
in this direction would be we'll in
vested. This convention, to effect
the double object which it may be
made to serve, should not be the
result of any half way measures.
The merchants, the real estate
agents, the real estate owners,
and all others who have a direct
interest in the advancement of the
commercial interests OF Memphis,
should take an active part in max.
ing this move q brilliant success.
The delegates to the convention
should be made the guests of the
city and every attention shown
them, which would give an agree.
able impression of their visit.
They should be shown all over
the city and its surroundings, and
an excursion could doubtless be
arranged with Maj. j. M. Edwards
for arip through the Yazoo
Delta to Greenville, Miss, which
would exhibit the richest agricul.
tural lands on the continent, with
their rapid development now 60
ing on, all of which would empha-
size the advantages of Memphis as
a commercial center. / would
suggest then that the first move
on the part of the Merchants and
Cotton Exchanges be to raise by
subscription the funds necessary
to carry out the object. This, |
have no doubt, can be easily done.
AS TO the future details, it will
be proper for the local Executive
Committee of the Western Water
Ways Improvement Convention
in Memphis, appointed by the con-
vention held at New Orleans in
1885, to correspond with the SINH
lar committees at other points
along the river and its tributaries,
and thus work up a general inter.
est throughout the valley in the
scheme. In the New Orleans con.
veDtion there were eighteen States
represented, nine of them quite
fully, and the other nine rather
meagerly. The Governors of these
States and the Mayors of the prin
cipal cities should be invited to
appoint delegates to attend the
convention, and every effort made
to secure a full attendance. This,
to be properly done, cannot be
hastily done, but will require time.
An important factor in the scheme
then is to fix date for holding
the convention. For several rea.
sons | think it would be unwIse to
fix an early day. The first object
of such a convention will be to i'm.
press upon Congress the deter.
mination of the Mississippi Valley
to insist upon its interests being
recognized by liberal appropria-
tions for the Improvement of the
Mississippi river. To carry out
this idea most effectively, the de.
liberations of the convention
should be but a short time before
the Resembling of Congress 9th.
erwlse its expressions will be dis
sipated and become stale before
Congress meets. 1t should also
be considered that such a conven.
tion would embody men of both
political parties, and with many
varying shades of opinion regard
ing the Preident's action in the
"pocket veton of the River and
Harbor Bill. This would very
likely produce factions In the con
vention at this juncture, when
many of our own people are
smarting under the disappoint
ment occasloned by the failure Ol
the River and Harbor Bill. Sucl
a convention as is contemplated
should be entirely harmonious tC
effect any good. Any unseemly
wrangling over such an issue al
the pocket veto would result ii
damage rather than benefit. Will